Meet Our Management Team

At Hormel Foods, we are fortunate to have great depth of leadership. Thanks to the efforts of the management team and their willingness to mentor others, Hormel Foods is positioned to build on the company’s long tradition of success.

Jeffrey M. Ettinger
Chairman of the Board
President and Chief Executive OfficerBiography

Jeffrey M. Ettinger is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer (CEO) at Hormel Foods. Ettinger joined Hormel Foods in 1989 and has served in a variety of roles, including senior attorney, product manager for Hormel® chili products and treasurer. In 1999, he was named president of Jennie-O Turkey Store — the largest subsidiary of Hormel Foods, based in Willmar, Minn. Ettinger was appointed president at Hormel Foods in 2004 and CEO in 2005, where he oversees all functions and operations at the $8.8 billion multinational business.

Under Ettinger’s leadership, Hormel Foods has grown through strategic acquisitions and a continued focus on new product innovation. As a result, the company’s common stock was added to the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in 2009, and Hormel Foods increased its annual dividend for the 49th consecutive time in November 2014. In 2012, Ettinger was named Responsible CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility magazine.

Additionally, the company was named 2008 Processor of the Year by both the National Provisioner magazine and Food Processing magazine for its industry leadership, and Hormel Foods won the American Business Award for Most Innovative Company in 2009. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, and the Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders.

He spearheaded the company’s efforts to become more transparent regarding its corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives. As a result of these efforts, Hormel Foods has been recognized among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens in the United States (compiled by Corporate Responsibility magazine) for seven consecutive years. In addition, Ettinger is the founding chair of the company’s diversity and inclusion council, which aims to meet the growing needs of its diverse workforce and consumer base.

Ettinger is a native of Pasadena, Calif., and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He served as law clerk for the Honorable Arthur Alarcón, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit. Ettinger attended the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.

He serves on the boards of The Toro Company, Ecolab, North American Meat Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, The Hormel Institute, The Hormel Foundation and the Minnesota Business Partnership. He and his wife, LeeAnn, have four children — one son in California, a daughter and son-in-law in the Twin Cities, a son in Iowa and a daughter at home with them in Austin, Minn.

Feragen joined Hormel Foods in 2000 as treasurer, assuming the title of vice president and treasurer in 2001. She was promoted to vice president of finance and treasurer in 2005 and was named senior vice president and CFO in 2007. She was promoted to executive vice president and CFO in 2010.

Feragen earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.). Feragen also attended the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School (Boston, Mass.).

As executive vice president and president of Hormel Foods business units, Steven G. Binder is responsible for the company’s Refrigerated Foods and Grocery Products reporting segments, consumer products sales (CPS), and the consumer insights and corporate innovation group.

Binder joined Hormel Foods in 1979 and progressed through numerous sales and management positions within the foodservice and meat products groups. In 1993, he became regional sales manager of the foodservice group. In 1996, he advanced to director of sales for the foodservice group, responsible for hiring, training and managing the company’s direct sales representatives and food broker network. In 1998, he was named vice president of the foodservice group, responsible for overseeing the growth, profitability and strategic direction of the division.

In 2000, Binder was named group vice president of the foodservice group and was appointed group vice president of Refrigerated Foods in 2007. He was named executive vice president of Refrigerated Foods in 2010 and assumed his current position in 2011.

Binder earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. He is a 1998 graduate of the management executive program at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In 2008, he graduated from the advanced management program at Harvard Business School (Boston, Mass).

He serves as: executive vice president of Hormel Foods Sales LLC; chairman of the board for Farmer John, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hormel Foods; a board member of the Austin Area Foundation; and a member of the Austin Rotary Club.

As group vice president for the foodservice group at Hormel Foods, Deanna T. Brady is responsible for the sales and marketing of foodservice products within the United States.

In September 1996, Brady started her career with Hormel Foods as a foodservice territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and held various foodservice sales positions throughout the United States. In 2003, Brady was promoted to foodservice regional manager in Los Angeles, Calif. She was promoted to vice president, foodservice sales in 2007. Brady assumed her current position in October of 2013.

Brady is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics and food administration. She is a registered dietitian.

As group vice president for the Refrigerated Foods group at Hormel Foods, Thomas R. Day is responsible for the general management of the business unit.

Day joined Hormel Foods in 1981 on a relief assignment in Texas and was promoted to territory manager of meat products later that year. In 1985, he was named territory manager of foodservice and he became manager of national accounts for foodservice in 1989. He served as manager of national accounts and was named regional manager in 1992. In 1994, Day was appointed director of sales and marketing of Dubuque (Iowa) Foods. He was named director of sales for the foodservice group in 1998 and vice president of foodservice sales in 2000. Day was named senior vice president of foodservice in 2007 and was promoted to group vice president, foodservice in 2010. He assumed his current role in October of 2013.

A native of Wisconsin, Day is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas in San Antonio and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Executive Program in Minneapolis.

Donald H. Kremin is group vice president of the Specialty Foods group at Hormel Foods and oversees the strategic direction of CytoSport, Inc., Century Foods International, Diamond Crystal Brands, Inc., and Hormel Foods specialty products. The Specialty Foods group includes products such as the Muscle Milk®brand of protein products, restaurant packets, nutritional food products, supplements and contract manufacturing.

Kremin joined Hormel Foods in 1984 as a sales merchandiser in Grocery Products in Lenexa, Kan. He held various sales positions in the Midwest and was named Grocery Products district manager in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1990. In 1994, he was promoted to Grocery Products regional manager for the East Central region headquartered in Detroit, Mich. In 1996, he was promoted to Grocery Products customer development manager for the Central region headquartered in Chicago, Ill.

He became the national sales manager for ethnic specialties in Grocery Products in Chicago, Ill., in 1999, and he became the director of customer development in consumer products sales (CPS) in Chicago in 2004. In 2005, Kremin was named director of the Walmart business team and vice president of CPS in Bentonville, Ark. He was promoted to vice president of Hormel Foods and senior vice president of the CPS division for the Walmart business in 2007 and assumed his current role in 2011.

Originally from Chicago, Kremin received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University.

As group vice president of Hormel Foods and president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Glenn R. Leitch oversees the company’s Jennie-O Turkey Store business segment.

Leitch started his career as director of commodity sales at Jennie-O Turkey Store in 1996 and was promoted to senior vice president of the commodity and supply division at Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2001. In 2011, he was named general manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store before being promoted to his current position.

Leitch holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada).

As group vice president of Hormel Foods and president of Hormel Foods International Corporation (HFIC), James P. Snee oversees the company’s international division, which encompasses more than 50 countries outside the United States.

Snee joined Hormel Foods in 1989 in the foodservice division and served in various positions within the group before being named manager of inventory and distribution for the Refrigerated Foods segment in 1995. He was promoted to foodservice area manager and foodservice regional sales manager in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Snee was named director of purchasing in 2006 and vice president of affiliated business units in 2008. In 2011, he advanced to senior vice president of HFIC and assumed his current position in 2012.

Snee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, N.M.). He received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

James M. Splinter is group vice president of Grocery Products. In this position, he is responsible for the general management of the company’s dry grocery business unit.

Splinter joined Dubuque Foods in 1984 and became product manager for retail sausage products in 1990. In 1995, he joined Hormel Foods as product manager for the meat products group in Austin, Minn., managing the marketing activities of Hormel® pepperoni, which earned a Best Print Media Campaign award from Food and Beverage magazine.

In 1997, he joined the Grocery Products division as group product manager for the recipe ingredient group and oversaw the brand revitalization efforts for the SPAM® family of products. In 1999, Splinter was promoted to senior vice president, sales and marketing of the retail division at Jennie-O Turkey Store. In 2003, he assumed the role of vice president of marketing for consumer products, Refrigerated Foods. He was promoted to his current position in 2010.

A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Splinter graduated from Loras College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Executive Program in Minneapolis.

Larry L. Vorpahl serves as group vice president at Hormel Foods Corporation and oversees a sales force of approximately 300 people that services all formats of retail customers nationwide, selling both shelf-stable grocery and refrigerated meat products.

Vorpahl joined Hormel Foods in 1986 as a sales merchandiser and became a sales representative later that year. He was promoted to associate product manager in 1987, product manager in 1990, senior product manager in 1993 and group product manager in 1995. Vorpahl was promoted to director of marketing in 1996 and was named vice president of marketing in 1999. In 2003, he became vice president and general manager, Grocery Products, responsible for overseeing the company’s Grocery Products division. He was promoted to his current role in October 2005.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a comprehensive marketing major. Vorpahl is a graduate of several executive education programs, including the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School, Minnesota Executive Program at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Management Institute at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Vorpahl is involved in a number of food industry organizations. He is a member of the Food Marketing Institute Associate Member Advisory Council and the Industry Affairs Council of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Vorpahl serves as president of Consumer Products Sales, a division of Hormel Foods Sales LLC. He serves as a board member of MegaMex Foods LLC, a joint venture of Hormel Foods. Vorpahl is also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at Hormel Foods.

In addition, Vorpahl is a charter member of the Marketing Advisory Council at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

D. Scott Aakre
Vice President
Corporate Innovation and New Product Development Biography

Scott Aakre is vice president of corporate innovation and new product development at Hormel Foods. In this role, Aakre focuses on Hormel Foods corporate innovation processes and new product development.

Aakre joined Hormel Foods in 1990 as an assistant product manager and quickly advanced to associate product manager in 1991 and product manager in 1992. After working as a district sales manager in Philadelphia for one year, Aakre returned to the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.) to become senior product manager of meat products in 1995. He was promoted to group product manager of meat products in 1998. In 2003, Aakre became group product manager of Grocery Products and was promoted to director of marketing for Grocery Products later that year. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president of marketing for grocery products. He assumed his current position in 2011.

A Minnesota native, Aakre earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.

Aakre is actively involved in the local community and served with the Mower County United Way for more than 10 years.

As assistant controller, James T. Anderson is responsible for general accounting functions including the relationship with the external auditors, internal controls, consolidation, travel and entertainment reimbursement, fixed assets, Securities and Exchange Commission compliance, external reporting, planning, payroll and cash disbursements.

Anderson has been with the company for more than 35 years. He started as an accountant at the Fremont (Neb.) Plant and then transferred to the Ottumwa (Iowa) Plant where he held managerial accounting positions. Since 1988, Anderson has held positions at the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.), including supervisor of internal auditing, corporate manager of credit/claims and director of general accounting. Anderson has held the assistant controller position since 2009.

Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Dakota. He currently serves as a board member for the Diocese of Winona Finance Council and Austin Youth Baseball, and previously served as president of the Sacred Heart Care Center Board.

Jeffrey R. Baker is vice president of marketing for the foodservice division at Hormel Foods. In this position, he is responsible for the overall development of advertising and brand positioning for the foodservice division.

In this capacity, he develops and implements the division’s strategic plan, compiles the annual operating budget, supervises the activities of new product development and pricing, and monitors the latest industry trends to ensure Hormel Foods maintains its strong presence in the foodservice arena.

Baker joined Hormel Foods in sales in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1990. After holding product manager positions for smoked meats and sausage, Baker became the meat products district manager in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to senior product manager, meat products, and became the group product manager for meat products three years later. Baker advanced to director of fresh meats marketing and Precept Foods in 2009, and he advanced to his most recent role as vice president of marketing, foodservice in 2012.

Baker earned his bachelor of arts in Marketing from the University of Dubuque.

Baker and his wife, Diane, have three daughters and live in Austin, Minn.

Richard A. Carlson is vice president of quality management for Hormel Foods and is responsible for overseeing company quality, plant regulatory and food safety activities.

In 1990, Carlson began his career with Hormel Foods as quality and process control engineer at the Austin Plant. He has held quality assurance and production management positions at the Stockton (Calif.) Plant, Owatonna (Minn.) facility and at Jennie-O Turkey Store Willmar, Minn. In 2000, he was named director of quality assurance at Jennie-O Turkey Store and assumed the position of vice president of quality management at Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2010. He moved to the Corporate Office in Austin, Minn., and became vice president of quality management at Hormel Foods in 2014.

Carlson graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and is active with his church and local theater and arts and lives in Austin, Minn.

As vice president of affiliated business units in the Refrigerated Foods division at Hormel Foods, Mark A. Coffey oversees Burke Marketing Corp., Farmer John, Dan’s Prize, Inc., and Saag’s Products. Coffey started his career with Hormel Foods as a relief supervisor at the Ottumwa (Iowa) Plant in 1985.

He held a variety of positions at several locations before moving to the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.) in 1991 as product manufacturing manager for cured and smoked meats. Coffey was promoted to plant manager at the Houston (Texas) Plant in 1995 and held this position at Dold Foods (Wichita, Kan.), Osceola (Iowa) Food and the Fremont (Neb.) Plant before being named plant manager of the Austin (Minn.) Plant in 2005. He was named to his current position in 2011.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and systems management from Central College in Pella, Iowa.

Coffey serves on the board of directors of Clougherty Packing, Dan’s Prize, and Burke Marketing Corp..

As vice president of Hormel Foods and senior vice president of the consumer products sales (CPS) division, Patrick J.Connor is responsible for all sales activities surrounding the Walmart business.

Connor joined Hormel Foods as a Grocery Products sales representative in 1996. He was promoted to various positions before being named Grocery Products district team leader in 2001. He held this position until 2004 when he became the director of the Albertsons business team. Connor advanced to director of customer development for the Central team for CPS in 2006. He assumed his current role in 2011.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Winona State University (Winona, Minn.) and is currently finishing the Minnesota Executive Program at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). He has also attended the Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.).

Bryan D. Farnsworth is senior vice president of supply chain for Hormel Foods and is responsible for engineering, quality control, purchasing, industrial engineering, logistics, the company’s air and fleet transportation and Six Sigma continuous improvement.

With over 30 years of experience at Hormel Foods, Farnsworth has been involved in all aspects of quality control within the company and has developed a keen vision for the role of quality management within the organization. He started his career in 1981 as a quality control trainee in Fremont, Neb., where he was quickly promoted to quality control engineer. Throughout the next 10 years, Farnsworth held various quality and process control positions at several of the company’s locations, including Austin, Minn., and Beloit, Wis. In 1991, he became director of quality control for Jennie-O Foods (Willmar, Minn.). He stayed with Jennie-O Foods for five years, where he also held plant management positions at the Willmar and Montevideo, Minn., locations. In 1996, Farnsworth was named director of quality management for Hormel Foods was promoted to vice president of quality management in 2005. In 2014, Farnsworth assumed his current position.

Farnsworth graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in manufacturing administration and is a graduate of the management executive program at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Roland G. Gentzler serves as the vice president for the finance department and as company treasurer at Hormel Foods. In these roles, Gentzler is responsible for financial analysis, risk management, cash management, tax, operations research and credit.

Gentzler joined the company in 1976 as an accountant at the Austin (Minn.) Plant. He assumed the position of manager of general accounting and claims at the Fort Dodge (Iowa) Plant later that year. He became the office manager for the Dallas (Texas) Plant in 1980 and was promoted to office manager at the Ottumwa (Iowa) Plant in 1984. In 1987, he moved to the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.) as the supervisor of internal auditing. He was promoted to accounting manager for FDL Foods (Dubuque, Iowa) in 1988. In 1993, Gentzler moved to accounting coordinator and was named the director of finance for FDL Foods in 1994. Gentzler moved back to the Corporate Office in 1995 as the manager of cost accounting. He was promoted to assistant controller in 2000 and advanced to business unit controller for the Refrigerated Foods division later that year. He was named to his current role in 2007.

Gentzler received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of South Dakota (Vermillion, S.D.).

Jeffrey A. Grev is vice president of legislative affairs for Hormel Foods. In this capacity, Grev oversees all state and federal legislative affairs, regulatory affairs and packaging design.

Grev began his career in 1984 in Grocery Products sales in Louisville, Ky. A year later, he became a sales representative for the Michigan territory and then the New England territory. In 1987, he became the manager of sales training for Grocery Products at the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.). Grev became an associate product manager, Grocery Products, in 1988, and held several marketing positions until 1996, when he became a group product manager for Grocery Products. In 2006, he took on a special assignment to become the general manager of Valley Fresh Foods at the Corporate Office. He became the corporate manager of mergers and acquisitions in 2007, and then director of corporate development in 2013. He assumed his current role in 2014.

Grev is originally from Shakopee, Minn. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, (Minneapolis, Minn.) and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minn.).

Grev serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council. He is a member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and a deputy of the Minnesota Business Partnership.

As vice president, corporate development, Halvin is responsible for focusing on corporate direction and growth by continuing to oversee corporate strategy and the mergers and acquisitions process.

Halvin started his career with Hormel Foods in 1985 as the cost accounting manager at Farm Fresh Catfish Company (Hollandale, Miss.). In 1990, he advanced to corporate cost analyst at the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.) where he was responsible for overseeing cost information for various parts of the corporation.

In 1996, he was named manager of the tax department where he was responsible for compliance and the filing of all federal, state and local returns. In 1999, he advanced to assistant controller, and in 2000 to treasurer of the company.

In late 2000, he was named director of Economic Value Added and given additional responsibilities as director of investor relations in 2001. The addition of mergers and acquisitions and strategy was effective in 2007. Halvin was named director of corporate development in 2008 and assumed his current role in 2012.

Halvin holds a bachelor of arts degree with a concentration in accounting from Midland Lutheran College (Fremont, Neb.). He is originally from Red Oak, Iowa.

Halvin is a member of the Mower County United Way Distribution Committee.

As vice president and corporate secretary, Brian D. Johnson handles all aspects of corporate governance as well as securities and financing matters for Hormel Foods. He also serves on the disclosure, compliance and employee benefits committees.

Johnson joined Hormel Foods in 1995 as a corporate attorney and was promoted to senior attorney in 2000. He was named assistant secretary in 2005 and corporate secretary in 2007. Johnson became vice president and corporate secretary in 2010. Johnson graduated from Minnesota State University (Mankato, Minn.) in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, with majors in accounting, finance and real estate/insurance and minors in economics and political science. He earned designation as a Certified Public Accountant in 1984.

Johnson graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif with a juris doctor degree from the University of Minnesota Law School (Minneapolis) in 1991. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Association of Corporate Counsel and Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals.

Johnson volunteers in the local community, serving on a variety of civic and church boards and committees. He is currently chairman of the Austin Area Joint Airport Zoning Board.

As vice president of human resources, Larry C. Lyons is responsible for employee relations, industrial relations, diversity and inclusion, benefits, safety and security, learning and development, workers’ compensation, professional employment and compensation for the almost 20,500 employees at Hormel Foods.

Lyons joined Hormel Foods in 1978 as an industrial engineering trainee at the Fort Dodge (Iowa) Plant. In 1981, he became a compensation analyst at the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.), and later became industrial relations supervisor. In 1988, he transferred to the Beloit (Wis.) Plant in the role of manager of personnel and purchasing. Lyons became the corporate manager of safety and security at the Corporate Office in 1993, followed by other human resources roles including manager of employee relations and director of human resources. He was named the vice president of human resources in 2014.

Lyons received his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Menomonie). He also holds a professional human resource certification.

Lyons and his wife, Jackie, have two children and reside in Austin, Minn.

Lori J. Marco is vice president of external affairs and general counsel at Hormel Foods.

As vice president of external affairs and general counsel, Marco oversees law, corporate communications and legislative and regulatory affairs. She is the chief legal officer at Hormel Foods and leads all aspects of the company’s law department.

Marco is also responsible for managing risk on a daily basis and overseeing all corporate transactions, litigation and corporate governance and securities. Marco started her career at Hormel Foods in 2004 as a corporate attorney and was named senior attorney in 2007. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, she practiced at the private law firm of Briggs and Morgan, P.A., in Minneapolis, Minn., where she concentrated on intellectual property litigation.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. Marco is also a registered patent attorney.

Luis G. Marconi is the vice president of marketing for grocery products at Hormel Foods. In this role, he is responsible for setting brand strategy, developing consumer communications, overseeing brand and divisional budgets and profit-and-loss statements as well as leading and developing a team of marketing product managers.

The portfolio of brands he oversees includes flagship brands such as Hormel® chili, the SPAM® family of products, SKIPPY® peanut butter, Hormel® Compleats® microwave meals, Valley Fresh® chicken and Dinty Moore® stew. In addition, he works with the MegaMex Foods portfolio of products, which includes the Herdez®, Wholly Guacamole®, La Victoria®, CHI-CHI’S®and Doña María® Mexican brands and product lines, and sits on the joint venture's Board of Directors.

Marconi began his career with Hormel Foods in 2000 as the manager of international sales and marketing in the international division. He advanced in 2006 to a senior role in the Grocery Products division as manager of international joint ventures. In 2009, when the MegaMex Foods joint venture was formed, Marconi was appointed managing director by the Board of Managers.

He graduated from Pontifical Xaverian University in Cali, Colombia with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and received his master of business administration degree from Icesi University.

Kurt F. Mueller is vice president of sales in the consumer products sales (CPS) division at Hormel Foods Corporation.

With over 30 years of experience at Hormel Foods, Mueller developed his marketing expertise through working in various sales and marketing capacities at the company. He joined Hormel Foods in the Refrigerated Foods meat products division in 1979 in Shreveport, La., and later advanced to other sales positions in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. In 1983, Mueller relocated to the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.) as a brand manager for products such as Hormel® Black Label® bacon and fresh pork. Five years later, Mueller returned to sales to manage a territory covering Wisconsin, Illinois and western Indiana. In 1991, he was promoted to marketing director for Dubuque Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hormel Foods.

After four years with Dubuque Foods, Mueller returned to the Corporate Office to manage a newly formed logistics and customer service department in the Refrigerated Foods division. A year later, he advanced to lead another newly formed department as director of pork sales and marketing. He was appointed a vice president in 1999 and advanced to senior vice president, business planning, CPS, in 2004. He has held his current position since 2012.

For his outstanding work managing the Hormel® Always Tender® brand, Mueller was honored as “Brand Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek magazine in 1999.

Mueller holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing emphasis from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

As vice president of Research and Development at Hormel Foods, Kevin L. Myers oversees product development, packaging, food safety sciences and lab services.

Myers came to Hormel Foods with over a decade of experience in the food industry, holding management positions in food technology, research science, and new product development.

In 2001, he started with the company as a research scientist for fresh and value added meats at research and development. He was promoted to development leader of fresh and processed meats in 2005, and a year later, was promoted to group manager of product development. In 2012, he became the director of product, process, and package development and assumed his current role in October of 2013.

A native of Mount Ayr, Iowa, Myers received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education at Iowa State University, where he also earned his master's and doctorate degrees in Meat Science and Food Science.

Myers is a member of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s Food Safety and Defense Task Force. He is also a member of the American Meat Science Association and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Myers is the lead author of two recently published scientific papers in Meat Science: Effects of high hydrostatic pressure and varying concentrations of sodium nitrite from traditional and vegetable-based sources on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat (RTE) sliced ham; and The effect of high hydrostatic pressure, sodium nitrite and salt concentration on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on RTE ham and turkey.

Jeffrey A. Nuytten is vice president of operations in the Refrigerated Foods division at Hormel Foods Corporation.

With over 30 years of experience at Hormel Foods, Nuytten has developed his operations expertise through working in various foreman, superintendent and plant manager capacities at the company. In 1979, he joined Hormel Foods at the Fort Dodge (Iowa) facility. Nuytten held foreman positions at Fort Dodge and the Fremont (Neb.) Plant until he became the plant superintendent at Dold Foods (Wichita, Kan.) in 1987.

In 1992, he transferred to the Austin (Minn.) Plant as the superintendent of cured and smoked meats production. From 1994 to 2004, he held plant manager positions at Dold Foods, Osceola (Iowa) Food and the Austin Plant. In 2004, he was named the vice president of operations at Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc. Nuytten advanced to his current role in 2012.

Nuytten holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from St. Cloud State University.

As vice president of sales for the foodservice group, Mark J. Ourada oversees all of the foodservice sales force at Hormel Foods.

Ourada began his career at Hormel Foods in 1988, as a relief sales and merchandiser in Minneapolis, Minn., and was promoted to sales representative and territory manager the same year. A year later, he became a foodservice sales representative in San Antonio, Texas. In 1993, he became the foodservice account manager in Denver, Colo., and in 1995 was promoted to foodservice account executive. In 1998, he moved back to Minneapolis, Minn., as a foodservice area manager, and in 2001 advanced to area manager, foodservice sales in Cincinnati, Ohio and became the regional sales manager there in 2005. He assumed his current role in October of 2013.

Ourada is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where he received a bachelor of science degree in marketing.

James R. Schroeder is vice president of engineering at Hormel Foods. In his position, he oversees all aspects of engineering for the company, including design, construction and commissioning of plant facilities and equipment, plant engineering and maintenance as well as environmental engineering.

Schroeder started his career with Hormel Foods in 1984 at the Fremont (Neb.) Plant where he held a number of supervisory positions. In 1990, he became plant engineer at the Beloit (Wis.) Plant and in 1994 assumed the role as manager of plant engineering at the Austin (Minn.) Plant. In 1998, he was promoted to special assignments engineer and then to manager of corporate engineering projects at the Corporate Office in Austin, Minn. He was named manager of projects and plant engineering at the Corporate Office in 1999, and advanced to his current position in 2009.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and management systems engineering from the University of Nebraska. Schroeder is a graduate of several executive education programs, including the Engineering Management Program at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and the Minnesota Management Institute at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. In addition, he has earned several professional certifications from the Association for Facilities Engineering and the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals.

Within the Austin, Minn. community, Schroeder is an active member and the past president of The Church Council at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. He also serves as a member of the Board of Commissioners for Austin Utilities.

As senior vice president of sales for the consumer products sales division and vice president of Hormel Foods Sales, Patrick J. Schwab oversees the sales functions for all retail customers throughout the eastern half of the United States.

Schwab joined Hormel foods in 1986. He held several sales positions in Atlanta, Ga., Cincinnati, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y., before becoming national sales manager of pork primals at the Corporate Office in Austin, Minn., in 1993. Schwab advanced to corporate manager of fresh pork sales, planning and logistics in 2000 and to director of fresh meat sales in 2004. He was director of fresh meats and margin optimization in 2009 and advanced to his current role in 2012.

Schwab is a native of Cedar Falls, Iowa and a graduate of University of Northern Iowa where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing.

As vice president and controller at Hormel Foods, James N. Sheehan is responsible for financial policies, internal controls, Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance and financial reporting as well as the general accounting, cost and business unit accounting functions of the company. Notably, he led the successful sale of Vista International Packaging and Algona Food Equipment Company.

An employee of Hormel Foods for more than 30 years, Sheehan started as an accountant in the Fremont (Neb.) Plant and was quickly promoted to manager of data processing. He advanced to other positions including manager of general accounting, office manager at several locations and controller of Vista International Packaging. Since 1988, Sheehan has held positions at the Corporate Office (Austin, Minn.), including corporate credit manager for claims and Hormel Financial Services. In 1998, he became president of Hormel Financial Services where he was instrumental in developing and implementing Hormel Financial Services functions and several financial systems. Prior to being named to his current position, Sheehan was treasurer at Hormel Foods.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Missouri Western State University (St. Joseph, Mo.), and is a graduate of the Minnesota Executive Program at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). Sheehan is involved in the Financial Executive Institute and the Institute of Management Accountants. He also serves on the Gelco Expense Management advisory board.

As the vice president of operations for the Grocery Products division at Hormel Foods, Donald J. Temperley is responsible for the Grocery Products processing plants and co-packer operations.

Temperley joined FDL Foods in 1982 (which became Rochelle (Ill.) Foods in 1993) and held various production and management roles. In 1993, he advanced to superintendent of processed meats. He transferred to the Austin Plant in 1996 as superintendent of cured and smoked meats production, and advanced to manager of pork processing in 2000 at the Corporate Office. Temperley was named plant manager of the Fremont Plant in 2005. In 2012, Temperley moved back to Austin, Minn., and became the director of pork operations and procurement at the Corporate Office. He advanced to his current position in 2014.

Originally from East Dubuque, Ill., he is a 2010 graduate of the management executive program at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)

He and his wife, Mardi, currently reside in Austin, Minn., and have two daughters.

As vice president of information technology services, Mark D. Vaupel is responsible leading and managing the Hormel Foods information technology (IT) resources and processes. This includes setting direction for technology and infrastructure, application development and deployment, IT operations support, business process & analysis, risk management, and IT project management.

Vaupel began his career in 1996 as a computer analyst at the corporate office. In 2000, he became a senior computer analyst and in 2002 became the manager of information technology planning and strategy. He assumed the role of director of information technology services in 2004. He assumed his current role in 2014.

He graduated in 1991 from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota in Minneapolis with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

Vaupel and his wife, Annemarie, have two grown sons. He serves as chairperson of the Alpha Gamma Rho - Lambda Chapter Educational Foundation.

Steven J. Venenga is the vice president of marketing for meat products for Hormel Foods in Austin, Minn.

In his role, Venenga is responsible for managing all brand-building marketing activities, including the associated marketing budget and new product development activities. He also manages the profit and loss statement of the meat products division and develops a staff of marketing product managers. He assumed his current role in 2011.

Venenga joined the company in 1996 when he joined Jennie-O Turkey Store as a product marketing manager. He subsequently held several marketing positions within the company. With more than 15 years of combined experience in food product marketing at both Hormel Foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store, Venenga was involved with the brand integration of the Jennie-O Turkey Store® brand and a number of retail product launches, including Jennie-O Turkey Store®Oven Ready™ turkeys and Jennie-O Turkey Store® turkey burgers. In 2013, Venenga oversaw the successful launch of Hormel®REV™ wraps.

Venenga is chairman of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and is a member of the board of directors for Jennie-O Turkey Store.

He earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa) after graduating from Simpson College (Indianola, Iowa) with a bachelor’s degree in management and economics.

As vice president of corporate communications for Hormel Foods Corporation, Wendy A. Watkins oversees public affairs and strategic communications, serves as the company’s chief spokesperson and is responsible for Studio H — the company’s creative and culinary services group.

In this capacity, Watkins has overall responsibility for internal and external communications, the company’s digital presence, issues management, corporate social responsibility initiatives and the consumer response group. She serves as director to the Hormel Foods Charitable Trust, which features the company’s scholarship and matching gift programs.

Watkins joined the company as vice president of corporate communications in 2015 with more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications, marketing and media relations. Prior to joining Hormel Foods Corporation, Watkins spent 15 years as global vice president of corporate communications for Delaware North Companies, a global leader in hospitality and food service. She joined Delaware North after more than a decade in corporate communications with the Marriott family of companies including Host Marriott and Host Marriott Services.

Watkins has been active in travel and tourism and food service industry issues. She was part of the initial launch of First Lady Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity initiative and the Chefs Move to School program. She was a staff representative to the Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. She was appointed by Governor Cuomo to the Health Research Science Board for the State of New York and is currently serving her second term. Watkins was named a Woman of Influence in 2011. She is president of the Board of Directors for the Cancer Nutrition Consortium. Watkins was recently honored by Art beCAUSE in Boston at their annual gala for her advocacy for breast cancer.

Watkins received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Florida, the Washington D.C. area and New York and is currently in the process of relocating her family to Austin, Minn.